


Operation Home

by CorinaLannister



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Belle POV (Once Upon a Time), Crossover, F/F, Getting Together, Heroine Big Bang, Hopeful Ending, Librarian Belle (Once Upon a Time), Pining, Storybrooke, SwanBeauty, Westeros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorinaLannister/pseuds/CorinaLannister
Summary: Everything was going well in Storybrooke. The day was as normal as it could be for Belle. Her plan was fixed - Go to Granny's to get coffee and admire Emma Swan, from afar, followed by opening up the Library. Everything went well up until that point. The day just went downhill from there. Turns out that accidentally activating a magic bean in the Library is not something one should do. Belle becomes stranded in Westeros and by some stroke of luck, or unluckiness two others end up with her. How are they to survive? Will they make any allies or enemies?
Relationships: Belle & Henry Mills, Belle/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4
Collections: Heroine Big Bang!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, welcome to the story I've created for Heroine Big Bang 2020-2021. 
> 
> I'll be posting one chapter of this fic daily until it is complete. 
> 
> I've partnered with Waysen Art for this, they will be posting some awesome pieces of art on the days when the matching chapters which inspired their two peices are posted. Make sure to check them out. I will link to them here once they are up.

Once upon a time there lived a woman, a princess in one land, a librarian in another, and other professions in lands she had yet to find. For one could become many different people, they weren’t penned into one box. The lands were the deciding factor in who or what she could become most of the time, but she had decided enough was enough and that she would be who she wanted to be in the next land she visited. There were many places and lands she had yet to discover despite her constant search for new ones. She knew that she had to keep looking for them, her thirst for knowledge was too great. 

If one knew of their existence they were easy to travel to - if you had the right ingredients. They could be travelled to by the use of magical beans, spells and curses - that she knew of. Although her reading had spanned many a library and was quite extensive she didn’t know everything. Hence why she kept ordering books and trying to find information on the mysterious author. There had to be many more fairy tales that even Mr Gold didn’t know about and thus many more worlds for her to travel to. She had a scrapbook which she wanted to fill with tidbits about all the locations she went to. If asked what her aim was she would say to make a database with all available lands to travel to and make travelling between them a viable option.

In her latest acquisition of books for the town library she accidentally activated a magic bean sending her, and the other occupants of the library, to a location unknown to them. A land fraught with danger, politics and intrigue. A land which she was truly and utterly fascinated by. A land which she could not have survived had it not been for the other person, and their son, who were also pulled into the portal from the accidental use of the magic bean in the library. This land was Westeros. 

Her name is Belle French, and this is her story.


	2. Storybrooke

Her day started as usual, well, as usual as could be for a town which had magic and was inhabited by characters from fairy tales. The first thing Belle would do every morning would be to walk to Granny’s for her coffee and breakfast to go. 

The bell chimed when she pushed the door open to the shop. At this time of morning the shop was nearly empty, save for the people who had stayed up all night partying at the Rabbit Hole and the early risers like the Sheriff. 

Belle paused in the doorway, all was normal. She spied Sheriff Swan standing waiting for her order while Henry sat in a booth looking at one of the latest books she had found. Henry was an avid reader like her. She slowed down to check in on him. 

“Good morning, Henry. How are you liking that book? It was about Neverland if I remember correctly?” 

“I took out that one last week. This one is about Arendelle,” Henry said excitedly, eagerly turning the book in her direction so that she could see a castle made entirely out of ice. Such a thing should not have been possible. That was her first thought. Then her mind caught up with her. Magic. Then her second thought was that it must have come at a high price. 

“My mistake. You go through so many books that I can’t keep up,” Belle said.

“You got that right. I keep having to tell him to turn the lights out multiple times,” Emma said from right behind her causing her to startle. 

“Emma!” Belle exclaimed, her hand going to her chest like someone had just pulled her heart out of it. Her face turned red as she blushed. Her frightened state at someone just appearing behind her was no cause for her to react like that. Emma was going to think something was wrong with her. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Emma stated before handing a milkshake over to Henry. “I seem to have that effect on people since becoming the Sheriff. You’ve not done anything wrong have you?” she carried on in a more serious voice, her tone akin to that of when she caught evil doers. 

Belle who had almost calmed down from being frightened now became even more frightened. She hadn't done anything wrong had she? She opened her mouth to say something, what she didn’t know but failed in saying something intelligible. This was not going well. 

“Relax, Belle. It was only a joke. I know you haven’t done anything, and would never do anything to warrant being placed into Stroybrooke’s jail cell,” Emma said as she gently placed a hand on Belle’s shoulder. A sign that all was well. 

Emma ushered her son Henry out from the booth and was already walking towards the exit when Belle finally spoke up, “We’re getting a new shipment of books at the library today. I thought you - Henry might like to come over after school ends to have a look. I know how much he likes books,” Belle blushed even harder and shifted from foot to foot, she hoped that Emma hadn’t noticed what she had said. It did occur to her that she was probably making herself look more guilty of the crime which she had magically made up in her mind. If she were actually to do anything wrong there would be no way she could talk her way out of it if discovered. She was essentially an open book. 

“I’d love that. Can we do that?” Henry said to his Mum. 

Emma looked to her Son after her gaze stayed on Belle for a beat too long, “That’ll be fine. See you later Belle.” With one last look cast in Belle’s direction Emma and Henry left the store and Belle could hear Emma say, “C’mon, Henry. It’s time for you to get to school, else you’ll be late.”

When Belle couldn’t see them through the store window anymore she went to the counter to order her usual. Chamomile tea and pancakes. 

She doesn’t even have to order it as it is there waiting for her on the counter. Ruby was just about to put it into a to go bag. 

“Thank you. Though one day I might change my mind. What would you do with the food then?” 

“I highly doubt that, but when you do it’s on the house. You know me, I’d wolf the food down,” Ruby says. 

After Belle pays she says goodbye to Ruby and heads out, back to the library. Naturally she takes a sip of her tea when it’s too hurt still. It is her way. One would think she would learn from making that mistake multiple times. 

It is a little after 9am when she reaches her library and opens it to the Storybrooke public. Her chat with Emma had gone on for longer than usual so she was a smidgen late in opening it. Thankfully no one was waiting in a line outside. 

Honestly that would have surprised Belle as the most frequent visitors to the library were Henry, closely followed by Emma and then Mr Gold. Mr Gold only came to collect the rent or remind her that the rent was due. Belle knew better though, he never reminded anyone else about when rent was due, he only wanted to talk to her, to encourage her to take him back. Belle imagined that he was lonely and wanted to be in her presence once more. She had made him better, but at the same time he was always capable of relapsing. The thought frightened her but having said that all things had been calm in Storybrooke, and he had given her the means to travel the world via magical beans. At this point though Belle felt like she had already given him one too many chances. The offer would have been more tempting had she not had her eye on someone else. 

There was a reason she went to Granny’s every morning. Other than the tea and pancakes which were mediocre at best. Belle’s heart fluttered and her confidence seemed to falter whenever she was in her vicinity. Yet it didn’t matter what Belle felt about her as Emma had never expressed an interest in Women before. She had a thing for Neal and now Captain Hook. Belle would never do a thing to jeopardize them.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Belle had plated her pancakes and decanted her tea into a teacup the door to the library opened. There was a customer. She frowned when she glanced at the first bite that was on her fork, deciding not to eat it she put the fork back down on her plate. 

That turned out to be the last chance she would get to have those pancakes, she would always remember that moment wistfully. Even if they were not anywhere near good enough to have a Michelin star. 

The tell-tale clack of a cane signalled to her that Mr Gold had visited, this prompted Belle to quickly check the calendar in a hurry. Was it rent collection day? In a frantic hurry she pulled over the calendar to check which days she had marked off until. Her eyes scanned the dates. It was Friday not Saturday and she calmed down again. Two frights in one day, it was a wonder she hadn’t had to visit Dr Whale yet. When she calmed down she realised that Henry wouldn’t have had school on a Saturday. 

“Belle,” Mr Gold says when he walked up to her, his suit immaculate, today he wore a scarlet red pocket square. “I would like to remind you that your rent is due tomorrow.” 

“Rumpel, have I ever not paid rent to you on time?” 

“Do you really want me to answer that, Dearie?” He asked as he placed both hands on the cane in front of him. 

“...Perhaps not,” Belle stated, remembering a time when her father was behind on rent and she offered to make a deal with the metaphorical devil. In her defence it wasn’t her who owed him but her father. 

“I thought so,” Mr Gold said, but he made no move to leave. 

“You’ve reminded me that rent is due tomorrow. Is there anything else, Rumpel?” 

“Yes, Dearie. I have acquired an item you may have interest in. Several items,” when he didn’t elaborate, Belle sighed. To act too interested in the items would play in his favour and not hers. “Don’t you wish to know what they are,” he said as he produced a small leather case, seemingly out of nowhere. 

Belle couldn’t help it, she moved a little closer to try and see inside it when he opened it. After a mere second he turned it to face her. 

“MAGIC BEANS!” Belle shouted, her face filling with joy. There were surely twelve there, maybe more, that meant she could visit and document six different lands. Her research was about to be more inclusive and more extensive.

Belle reached to take one of the beans out of the case, but Mr Gold snapped it shut, narrowly avoiding her outstretched fingertip. Her hand withdrew back to her chest. 

“Not so fast, Dearie,” Mr Gold said to her and she deflated. Of course he wanted something for them. He would want to make a deal for them. Belle was sure he knew that she would give anything to be given even one magic bean. When she uttered her next words, they were almost hesitant. He could ask for anything as he was in control. Making deals with him never ended well for anyone else. No matter what he would come out on top. 

“What’s the cost? What sort of deal are you wanting to make?” 

Mr Gold stared her down, his gaze piercing her. He opened his mouth slightly, enough for him to swipe his tongue over his lips once. 

“For you...I would like you to promise to come back to Storybrooke with any travelling companions that are with you.” Mr Gold stated and Belle’s mood instantly lifted again. That was it? Her mind questioned. Belle never travelled with anyone so that was easy. Maybe Mr Gold thought that she would leave him in another land. Although that would be something she might have done in the past, they had reconciled. There was no animosity between them. 

Belle was almost expecting another clause to be added. Something along the lines of, ‘You must allow me to take you on a date, or take me with you to wherever you travel.’ 

Instead Rumpel only said, “Do we have a deal, Belle?” 

Belle barrelled into him as she failed to control her impulses and had rushed at him, throwing her arms up around the back of his neck, she even gave him a kiss on his cheek as she accepted the case from his hands. 

“Thank you, Rumpel,” Belle said to him as she pushed herself away from him. Being that close to him may have given him the wrong impression so she wanted to put some distance between them. 

“Use them wisely. Preferably when you know exactly where you’re going. Some lands can be unforgiving. When you’re exploring, have caution. If anyone asks you what is West you can reply and say Essos. It may just save your life...or not depending upon who you tell it to. In fact, it might be best if you forget that entirely. I must take my leave,” Mr Gold said as he hastily left the library, leaving Belle to her briefcase of magic beans. To her the possibilities were endless. 

Her pancakes were left forgotten as she tried to contemplate Rumpel’s words of wisdom. Nothing made sense to her. It was like the words were in a foreign language. 

It wasn’t long until she had to sign for a couple of boxes containing new books for the library. Belle couldn’t wait to open them and see what treasures lay in wait for her. Of course she knew what the books were as she had ordered them, but that didn’t stop her inner child from coming out. Reading new books was what she lived for. 

Soon enough the delivery woman had left the books in her company only. It was then that she scrambled to open the boxes, pulling the books out one by one and sniffing the odour that came from a new book. There were a few that she can easily stick library labels in, classics which she had already read. There was one set of books which she hadn’t read before, a long series of fantasy based novels which were tempting. Belle had been eying up the first one, had even set it aside. 

Belle doesn’t even have them all unpacked before she failed to resist the pull of reading just the first page of one of the books. She pulls out the book she has been waiting for and goes to sit at the table which houses the open case of magic beans and her order from Granny’s. The book is from a new fantasy series which she had heard only good reviews about. The first was even called ‘A Game of Thrones’ which was too similar to the name of her father’s shop to pass up. It was that very fact that caught her attention. Though, everyone knows that one can never read just the first page of a book, and that is how Belle fell into the trap of reading, losing all concept of time and spatial awareness. So much so that Belle does not realise that nearly the whole day has passed. Further, she failed to notice that she wasn’t alone in the library anymore, and hadn’t been for a short while. If only she hadn’t been so enraptured in the book, maybe what happened next wouldn’t have happened at all. 

The sound of the door accompanied by the patter of two sets of feet did not rouse her from her book. Nor did the sound of a bag being thrown to the floor. Those could be put down to being a little distance away from her. The new cup of tea which was placed on the table next to her, now that couldn’t be put down to the sound being out of proximity for her to hear. Neither could the body which stood behind her to peruse the book as she too read it. Belle would have been overjoyed that her Emma was reading the book along with her for a few moments had she been aware. 

The noise that eventually startled her out of her reading state and woke her up, was the voice that came from behind her ear. Well either that or the tickle of hair on her neck which was most decidedly not hers. 

“What are you reading?” a voice asked her. 

The sound caused Belle to startle, her hands flinging the book up into the air, her hands also swung around wildly trying to fend off the possible intruder. Though they don’t succeed in hitting where the voice came from they do end up hitting the small case which was situated on the table, knocking it towards the floor. That in itself would not be a problem, it was what was inside it which caused the problem. The beans. Her most valued material item. 

Between getting startled and knocking the case Belle had realised who the intruder was, none other than Emma, her red jacket and white top combo always made her wish she could wear things like that. 

Belle should have left the beans to fall harmless to the ground. But it does not dwell to think about the past. Instead she thought to catch them all, within a few moments her arms were pinwheeling, Emma was trying to catch her and she was diving to catch them all. Her efforts failed her as she ended up comically trying to juggle the beans, her motor skills were not quite what she hoped. 

Belle was vaguely aware of a child's laughter and Emma shouting, “Get back, get out of the library, find Gold, Henry.” 

In the end though, she ended up dropping one to the floor, activating it, opening a portal right there in the library. 

When it hit the floor and started as a tiny black hole, but kept expanding, sucking nearby things into it she grabbed onto the nearest thing to stop herself from being dragged into it. The place which she had been thinking of would not be a good place to visit unless one was prepared. Unfortunately the nearest thing was Emma. Holding her made Belle blush. But it did not stop them both being dragged toward the portal. Then their progress was stopped as Emma managed to grab the table. 

“I’ve got you, Belle,” Emma shouted, her voice almost getting lost over the sounds of everything being dragged into the portal. 

The portal was too strong and still expanding. Belle hugged Emma tighter as their feet started lifting from the ground, the table slowly sliding across the floor. Soon they were parallel to the floor, and Belle witnessed two tea cups hurtle past her, uselessly spilling the liquid onto the floor before they disappeared into the depths of the portal. 

Belle struggled to hold onto Emma and started slipping closer to the portal, Emma’s one arm around her back struggling for purchase on her top. 

There was only one thing for it, Belle could do this one thing for Emma. She looked into Emma's eyes, committing them to memory so that she could get lost in them later. 

“Let me go. You can’t hold me as well, you know it,” Belle stated, trying to wriggle loose, Emma was having none of it as her grip tightened in response to the words. Emma looked her in the eyes, and Belle saw the look of fear there, the look that she was right. That there wasn’t anything Emma could do. Not this time, she couldn’t be the saviour all the time. 

Belle did the brave thing then and planted her lips on Emma’s, if she was going through the portal alone she could take this memory with her, it would give her the strength to get back. The kiss was soft, their lips barely brushing. Belle knew then that Emma was the one for her. When Belle pulled back preparing to let go of Emma she looked into Emma’s shocked eyes. There was a frown, and not a smile there, which did not bode well. 

Still if that were the last expression she were to see on that face, at least it wasn’t downright disgust. 

And with that her fingers started to let go of Emma. 

Yet that wasn’t a choice she had to make, nor would Emma have to deal with letting her go due to the event that followed. 

“I found Mr Gold like you said,” Henry’s voice travelled toward them excitedly. Emma’s eyes widened, as did Belle’s. The portal was still open and Henry was there. They had no time at all before they heard a drawn out scream and Henry shouting, “Mum.” This made them both turn towards the portal to see Henry get sucked into it.

The process of the portal starting to close happened soon after. The circle slowly shrinking into nothingness. 

Belle felt it the moment Emma let go of the table without hesitation. That was the decision she would have made too. Leaving Henry to navigate a world alone, especially the one that they were going to, at his age, would spell certain death. Even if he were older Belle knew Emma would have gone after him, it was one of the traits she admired about her. They were only airbourne for a few seconds before they fell into the portal together, it closed and all was still in the library, one could assume nothing happened except for it being ransacked by people up to no good. That was the state Mr Gold would find it in when he appeared but a few moments later. 

Belle could only hope that the land they would land in was more hospitable than it seemed from the book she had been reading. There was so much death, so many secrets, lots of political intrigue and characters out for only themselves, or their immediate family. All things that were good, interesting and intriguing on paper, but downright dangerous if they were to live through them. 

But they were going to visit Westeros whether they liked it or not so they would have to bear through anything that was thrown at them.


	4. Chapter 4

The feeling of being squeezed had her insides churning, but interdimensional travel did that to everyone. In reality it took only a few moments, it felt longer, no matter how many times she had previously done it. Being sucked through a portal was hardly strange to her, but going through one wrapped around another being, that was different. 

She had never been wrapped around another person when travelling through a portal before. The experience somehow felt worse, her body was being constricted by Emma’s. Emma must be feeling the same way about hers too. 

And then it was over, they landed on the ground, still cuddling each other. Emma took the brunt of the fall, landing on her back with Belle half astride her. Belle knew that Emma had somehow used their momentum to turn in mid-air to take that impact for her. At that her eyes glanced down to Emma’s lips before she shook those thoughts off. Now was not the time. 

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay, Emma?” Belle says quickly, as she looked down into Emma’s eyes. They were looking back at her, locked in a staring contest, her hands on Emma’s chest. Emma’s arms still wrapped around hers. 

“I’m fine. Are you?” Emma eventually stated, Belle could have sworn Emma took the smallest of glances to her lips, though she couldn’t have been sure. 

“Perfect. Just perfect,” Belle replied. 

Emma put a hand at Belle’s shoulder, “Can you get off now?” 

“Oh...Sorry…” Belle apologised, and pushed herself off Emma, feeling her cheeks start to heat up from her misstep. She had been enjoying their position a little too much.

Belle took in her surroundings for the first time when she stood, the first thing she noticed was that they were in a forest, which was now littered with books from the Storybrooke library. They were all around them, as far as she could see. 

Belle offered her hand to Emma to help her up, she was far too stubborn to be the first to ask for help. If Belle didn’t offer the hand, Emma would have taken to helping herself up, relying on herself only, like she had been doing for years. Emma was the woman Belle aspired to be, confident, selfless, brave...

Belle grew slightly worried when they looked round where they had landed as the second thing that she noticed was that there was no sign of Henry. 

“Henry,” Belle tentatively called out as she started looking behind different trees in the immediate vicinity, not wanting to shout too loudly lest she alert nearby enemies to their location. For all she knew they could be near a Lannister contingent. Or mountain clans, though she didn’t think they were near the eyrie based on the lack of mountains from her current viewpoint. Far more likely to be attacked by Lannisters, Belle surmised after her quick survey of the landscape. She would have to get to higher ground to more accurately assess where they were. 

“Henry,” Emma shouted once, spinning around, looking all around. She had no such compunctions about being quiet, it was so loud in the quiet of the area that Belle actually winced and tensed up expecting something to appear. But then she smiled, finding Henry was the only thing that mattered to her. Henry was her world, family was important to her. Belle knew that feeling all too well, she had given up everything to save her family and her Kingdom. 

Belle heard her call his name out a few more times before joining in both the search and the shouting. Damn the enemies that possibly weren’t there. She also had time to take a better stock of their location, it was a truly unremarkable wooded area, Henry could be anywhere, there were many places to hide, but he couldn’t be far, he should be near as the portal wouldn’t move. It was just that their trajectory into the portal was different so they would land in slightly different places. They just had to scour all the places where there were still objects from the library scattered about. 

Belle and Emma had come up with a plan instinctively, without words they started circling the location of their landing, going in opposite directions, getting further and further from the point they had landed. It was like their mind was one, Belle liked that theory, impossible as it was. They had likely just seen this occur too many times, Belle from her crime novels and Emma from her real detective work in Storybrooke. That was the more likely story, but Belle liked hers better. 

After much shouting and circling Belle saw a patch of soil on the ground which was wet, she thought that odd until she saw the cup from Granny’s upended on the floor. When she picked it up it was still warm, a few sips of the tea left inside. Quickly thinking back, Belle gathered that Emma had bought her tea, which warmed her heart a little more. 

Her voice had become hoarse and Belle thought that the tea would be a great help, though couldn’t help but wonder when they would be able to find something else to drink. There was also a change in Emma’s voice for Henry. Looking at the few sips of remaining tea wistfully, inhaling the familiar aroma, like just that could keep her going, she headed in the direction of Emma’s voice. Emma needed it more.

“Emma. I saved you the last sip of the tea that you bought me,” Belle said, proffering the cup to Emma who was by now rubbing her throat. 

“You can have it,” Emma said immediately. 

“I’ve already had some earlier,” Belle half lied, she hated to do it, but Emma would not have it if she knew that she hadn’t had some. “Thank you for bringing me this. It was very sweet of you,” Belle appeased, slightly shaking the cup at her. 

“Thank you,” Emma said, taking the cup from her. Their fingers brushed sending a tingle up her arm. Belle watched as Emma took the last of the tea as one large mouthful. There it was gone.

And then there was silence between them until Belle asked, “Feel better?” 

“Feel better! How can I feel better if I don’t know where Henry is? We’ve looked as far as the debris from the portal fell. Why isn’t he here?” 

“We’ll find him,” Belle said to Emma in an effort to soothe her. “He can’t be too far. He is an inquisitive young man, and is probably off exploring. We will find him.” 

“If we don’t find him I’m holding you responsible. Who keeps magic beans like that?” Emma raised her voice at her, moving closer. 

“I’m so sorry, Emma. I didn’t know that this would happen. We should focus on finding Henry. You can blame me all you want after we know he is safe.” 

“That’s the thing. Right now I don’t know if he is safe. For all I know he could have been captured by Rumpelstiltskin or the Evil Queen,” Emma replied angrily, kicking out at a nearby tree with her foot. 

Belle tried to think about why Emma thought that the Evil Queen could have had Henry. Had Emma seen the Evil Queen here? No, that didn’t make sense, they had never ventured into this dimension before, and then it dawned on her. Emma thought they were in the Enchanted Forest. That mistake was forgivable, leaving the beans out and in the open was not. Belle rued not closing that case while she could. 

“Emma, I’m sorry to have to tell you this-” Belle said evenly, trying to figure out how to break it to her that they had no friends here. None at all. Everyone would be an enemy to them, or at the very least suspicious of them. Belle didn’t think that leather jackets and jeans were the most common of apparel in Westeros. 

“Tell me what! That my son is missing. That we have been searching for ages and still haven’t found him-” 

“We’re not in the Enchanted Forest-” 

“Not in the Enchanted Forest. Where are we, Belle?” 

Having her name come from Emma’s lips in this fashion hurt Belle so her reply came out meeker than she would have liked, “I believe we are in Westeros. It was the place I was thinking of when you came by.” 

“Tell me more. I need to know who is here and how to act. I need to know how dangerous it is here,” Emma said, having calmed down a bit. 

“We should walk in larger circles around the area, looking out for any tracks or signs of Henry while we go. I shall tell you all I know about this place at the same time. Does that sound like a good plan?”

“Yes. It does.”

“Did you see the case containing the beans? Or any beans lying on the ground?” Belle asked Emma as they started their search anew. Walking along, looking around, even looking up into the trees in case he had climbed up one. 

“...I don’t think so. But I wasn’t really looking out for them.” 

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll worry about that later. Henry is the main priority right now. Operation Henry he would say.”

“You’ve got that wrong. He would say Operation Thrones. Something unrelated so that no one else knows.” 

“Yes. That is true. Henry is very smart,” Belle said, letting out a small smile, despite the fact that he was still missing. 

“He is,” Emma agrees with her, seemingly lost in her thoughts for a moment. A smile also appeared on her face for a few seconds. “Perhaps you should tell me more about this land now?”

And so Belle told Emma all there was to know about Westeros, which admittedly wasn’t much. No details were left out, Belle wanted Emma to know exactly what they were getting into, that was the only way forward for them. There was no holding Belle back from spurting out all the information which she knew about Westeros, despite the fact that Emma was getting paler and more fearful. 

In the end it was a hand on Belle’s arm which stopped her from her monologue about how the death of Jon Arryn was a murder instead of from natural causes. 

“Belle. We need to find Henry,” Emma said, her voice cracking, on the verge of tears. 

“We can do this. Find Henry, and get back home. Together,” Belle replied, putting her hand on top of Emma’s on her arm. Belle put as much emphasis on the words as possible, looking Emma dead in the eye, she firmly believed that was what they would do. 

“Thanks, Belle. I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here.”

“You’d fight your way through anything that means you harm, find Henry and get back home. You don’t need me to do that. You’re amazing.” 

“...You always know what to say,” Emma admitted. 

They shared another small, half there smile with each other before continuing on. Belle, scouring the ground with her vision for footprints or broken twigs, Emma, looking to the trees for any sign of Henry.


End file.
